NOLS Blog | Skills
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You Don’t Always Have to Know the Answer: Vulnerability in Leadership
Sometimes being a good leader means admitting you don’t know the answer, a lesson Carolyn Highland learned on her outdoor educator course in the …
Social Distancing Responsibly in the Outdoors
Now’s the time to apply lessons learned outdoors, like practicing LNT, having a positive attitude, and managing risk responsibly, to the frontcountry.
Hiking Like a Girl
On an Alaska backpacking and sea kayaking course, NOLS grad Caroline Dooley realized that hiking like a girl is something to celebrate. Here’s why.
Northern Absorption: Backpacking & Canoeing in the Yukon
Katie Raymond relives the unforgettable day when she paddled for 13 hours in stormy weather on her Yukon Backpacking and Whitewater Canoeing …
4 Spring Break Trips You Haven’t Considered
Choose a different kind of spring break this year. Forget the touristy beaches and overcrowded ski resorts and dive into a real outdoor adventure!
Watch: Yoga for Sea Kayakers
Check out this video to learn a short and effective yoga routine that’s designed specifically for paddlers!
Billycan Romance: A Lifetime Adventure
Once upon a time, two young bankers met by chance, bonding over their NOLS expeditions in Wyoming’s mountains. The rest is history—a true NOLS love …
Jimmy Chin’s Journey from NOLS to the Oscars
NOLS grad, former instructor, and current Board member Jimmy Chin shares reflections on adventure, storytelling, family, and his NOLS experience.
Announcing New Expeditions for Summer 2020
Check out our seven new expeditions for summer 2020 and start planning your next adventure!
How To Build a Winter Snow Shelter
Excited to go winter camping? These pro tips and instructions teach you how to build a quinzhee shelter out of snow instead of using a tent.
New Year, New Outdoor You
Make outdoor-focused New Year’s resolutions and achieve them in 2020.
How Backpacking Sparked a Love for Wilderness Medicine
On a NOLS expedition, Jack Johnson fell in love with wilderness medicine. Read about his journey from a 14-year-old backpacker to a Wilderness EMT!
Spring Break 2020: Get Ready for Adventure
Make spring break 2020 the ultimate outdoor adventure! Join NOLS to paddle the Baja coast, backcountry ski in the Rockies, or rock climb in the …
3 Mottos I Learned From My AMGA Ski Guide Training
While she’s still not sure if she wants to be a ski guide, NOLS instructor Jesse Quillian has some lessons to share from her recent training.
Learning to Say “Thank You:” The Path to Building Community While Climbing
Instructor Andy thought improving at climbing was about knowing enough knots and climbing hard enough routes— but it turns out there’s more to it …
Welcome to NOLS India: Expeditions in the Himalaya
Come to NOLS India to explore the landscape and culture of the Himalaya. Engage with local communities while backpacking and mountaineering.
My Path to Outdoor Education from a Semester in Alaska
NOLS grad-turned-instructor Katiya Gombar says that not a single day goes by without thinking of her expedition in Alaska and the lessons she learned …
I Don’t Need to Be an Extrovert to Lead: Reflections on Backpacking in Alaska
In Alaska I realized I might not be the most extroverted human, but I didn’t have to be. Someone else could do that and there would still be space—a …
Winter & Spring 2020 Expeditions Now Online
Don’t let these dates sneak up on you—summer’s going by quickly and winter will be here before you know it.
Taking a NOLS River Expedition
Wondering what a NOLS river course is like? Get the inside scoop from instructors and students.
There and Back Again, a Patagonia Tale: The Patagonia Cultural Expedition
My friends were confused about why someone who’d just gotten a masters in Public Health would join a NOLS expedition in Patagonia—quite frankly, so …
Case Study: Bucked off a Horse
You’re a first responder helping a patient who was bucked off their horse. The assessment might reveal something more troubling than what meets the …
Inside Whitewater Expeditions in the Rockies
NOLS river expeditions offer chances to paddle both calm waters and up to Class III whitewater in kayaks, oar rigs, and rafts.
Turnback Canyon: A NOLS Instructor Shares Lessons from Whitewater Paddling the Alsek River
NOLS instructor Natalie Sands writes about making hard decisions about the most challenging rapid she’s ever faced.
Instructor Expeditions of 2018
Learn about the personal expeditions NOLS instructors undertook in the mountains, rivers, and frontcountry for professional development in 2018.
“There Is No Limit:” A Kenyan Mountain Guide Advances Her Wilderness Training
Kenyan mountain guide and medic Carol Wanjiru shares her journey on a NOLS course for East African outdoor professionals.
Learning Expedition Behavior With Kids: Winter Edition
Winter is ripe for lessons in expedition behavior (EB) for everyone, especially kids.
Andrew Bobilya: Taking the Classroom Outdoors
Now an associate professor at Western Carolina University, NOLS grad Andrew Bobilya still treasures the lessons he learned on his Baja sea kayaking …
Everything You Need to Know About Winter Camping
NOLS instructor Katie Oram shares everything she knows about winter camping—we mean everything.
The Places that Scare You: First Ascents on Patagonia’s Northern Icefield
NOLS Instructor Willy Oppenheim describes the difficulties and exhilaration of a stunning first ascent of two peaks in Chilean Patagonia.
Best of NOLS Instagram in 2018
Your favorite photos of wilderness, friendship, and leadership from the NOLS Instagram account in 2018.
Meeting the Experts: NOLS Winter Instructor Kate Koons
Skiing and winter camping are the bread and butter of NOLS winter instructor Kate Koons
Do NOLS Even (and Especially) If You’re Scared
In the middle of a semester of complete chaos, Olivia Hewitt decided to take a NOLS course and writes about why you should do a NOLS course even – …
Real-Life Scenario: Stuck on a Climbing Route
NOLS instructor Jake Blackwelder tells the story of a rescue on a rock climbing route in Moab, Utah.
How to Take the Mountains Home: A Gateway Scholar Reflects on Horsepacking
Rebeca Espinosa, a NOLS Gateway Scholar, set off on her Wilderness Horsepacking and learned to find satisfaction in the hard work of horsepacking.
New Courses for Winter & Spring 2019
Take a look at new upcoming courses for winter and spring in 2019.
Simple Views Teach Profound Lessons: Sunrise in the Himalaya
A NOLS alumni reflects on the lessons of watching a sunrise in the Himalaya Mountains.
How Climate Change Might Impact Your Next Backpacking Trip
The world is already starting to feel the effects of climate change. Here’s some examples of how your next outdoor trip might be affected and how to …
The Top 3 Leadership Lessons You Won’t Learn in an Office or Classroom
NOLS instructor Liz Townsend believes the most important leadership lessons are learned outdoors—not in the business world (although they do apply …
Pay It Forward: How My NOLS Semester Helped Me Lead My Own Backcountry Trips
Carolyn Highland reflects on one of her favorite days ever—ascending an unnamed peak with a student-only team on her NOLS semester—and its lasting …
Snow in May: Leadership in the Face of Uncertainty
Sarah Delany reflects on the most impactful—and toughest—day of the customized NOLS course she took with fellow Bates College students in the …
Learning a Non-Linear Leadership Style from Sea Kayaking
Breaking the norms of leadership styles helped this NOLS grad grow on an all-women’s course in Baja California, Mexico.
NOLS Instructor Expeditions of 2017
Check out a collection of stories from some of the expeditions and trainings instructors pursued in 2017 to continue growing as leaders and educators.
What I Learned About Resilience from Swimming an Icy Canyon Pond
NOLS grad Maddy Eschholz reflects on the transferrable lessons she brought home from her outdoor semester in the Rockies.
How to Pack Your Backpack [Video]
Get ready for your next trip with these tips on how to pack your backpack.
5 Ways Expedition Behavior Helps You Raise Kids
A NOLS grad, writer, and mother of two, Alyssa Walker reflects on how the expedition behavior she learned in Alaska applies to parenting.
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful: Why I Went Back to NOLS
Struggling with the big city life she thought she wanted, Elena Rodriguez realized that what she actually needed was a NOLS course—or two.
Sea Kayaking the Great Bear Rainforest
NOLS instructor Jonathan Brooks uses words and images to chronicle his journey through British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest.
Up Mountains and Down Rivers: Packrafting at NOLS
Instructor Tim Kelley shares his passion for packrafting and explains what to expect on a NOLS packrafting expedition, based on a course he taught in …
Easing Back Into Your Frontcountry Life
The post author learned that stepping into life back home is as important a skill as living in the wilderness.
Growing Confidence through Solo Canoeing
NOLS instructor Rumi Kodama reflects on a canoeing seminar in Canada—and the intersections between growing her whitewater skills and confidence.
Tolerance for Adversity and Uncertainty in the Southern Andes
A NOLS instructor recounts adventures from a climbing trip in Chile and Argentina that highlighted the importance of positivity in the face of …
How to Hunker in Your Tent Without Getting Bored
Here are some ways to stay happy and occupied while you wait out a storm on a backpacking trip.
Educator Expedition: Family Time Rafting on the Middle Fork
A NOLS instructor applies his teaching skills to a river expedition with his family on the Salmon River.
New Courses for Fall 2017
We’re introducing five new courses to our fall lineup that are all 10 days or shorter. Enjoy!
4 Ways You Can Always Be Learning
A NOLS instructor reflects on how a rock climbing seminar inspired her to keep learning.
3 Ideas to Feed Your Inner Wild
NOLS mountaineering grad Will Harrison shares tips on adjusting to city life and incorporating lessons learned outdoors to life at home.
New Courses for Summer 2017
Here’s a peek at the three new courses offered in summer 2017.
My Trials and Triumphs Mountaineering in the Himalaya
NOLS grad Haley Peel found the challenge she was looking for on a mountaineering course in India—and learned some lasting lessons along the way.
The Big Picture: How I Found My Grit on a Semester in Baja
A NOLS alum reflects on the life-changing experiences he had while hiking, kayaking, and sailing on a semester in Baja California, Mexico.
Vulnerabilities into Empowerment: What Alaska Meant to Me
A first-generation college student reflects on what she learned on a NOLS sea kayaking expedition for STEP students in Alaska.
Instructor Expedition: A Grand Canyon Trip with Friends
Four NOLS instructors share the experience of leading a group of friends and family on a rafting expedition in the Grand Canyon.
Getting Ready: Mental and Physical Prep for My Gap Year
Here’s what one grad did to prepare for her gap year expedition in Patagonia with NOLS.
How To Keep Your Feet Warm
Advice from the pros on how to take care of your feet when they get cold.
5 Strategies to Survive Mud Season
Here are five tips on how to apply Leave No Trace (LNT) principles while hiking during mud season.
Do Hot Drinks Really Warm You Up?
Even though hot drinks don’t greatly affect your internal body temperature, they serve several very important purposes.
Do You Know Your Winter Leave No Trace?
Get some tips on how to apply Leave No Trace principles on a backcountry expedition in the winter.
How to Sleep Warm Outside This Winter
Get some tips on how to stay cozy and warm while sleeping outdoors on a winter camping expedition.
